The Wood Between the Worlds
"The one characteristic of a beautiful form is that one can put into it whatever one wishes, and see in it whatever one wishes to see; and the Beauty, that gives to creation its universal and aesthetic element, makes the critic a creator in his turn, and whispers of a thousand different things which were not present in the mind of him who carved the statue or painted the panel or graved the gem." - Oscar Wilde, "The Critic as Artist"
Monday, August 5, 2024
10 Reasons to Read Rob Keeley's 'Childish Spirits'
Title: Childish Spirits (10th Anniversary Edition)
Thursday, May 9, 2024
What To Do When Your Math Teacher is a Serial Bank Robber
Title: The Teacher Who Knew Too MuchAuthor: Rob KeeleyPublished: January 28, 2024Pages: 80Genre: MG Fiction
Buy The Teacher Who Knew Too Much
What Goodreads has to say:
With police and her gangster boyfriend Al on their trail, Miss Judson and Ben go on the run. But Al needs them for one last job...
This new novel from award-winning children’s and YA author Rob Keeley is a quick and breathless read, a comedy crime thriller that will enthral the young reader and keep the pages turning! Perfect for confident readers, reluctant readers or as a holiday gift.
What I have to say:
Like many of us, Ben has a problem with his math class. Unlike many of us, his problem is not that he's having trouble memorizing the multiplication tables or finding the square root of X---it's that his math teacher is a serial bank robber.
Miss Judson is young, pretty, and nice, making her one of the most popular teachers at Ben's school. When Ben realizes that Miss Judson is the bank robber who's been on the news lately, he decides to help her instead of turning her in. As it turns out, Miss Judson is at the mercy of a heartless criminal who goes by Al Parizzi. Her analytical math skills make her the perfect candidate for opening safes. But Miss Judson is tired of a life of crime. She just wants to go back to teaching. The only problem is, Al won't let her. When Ben gets involved, things get even messier.
At this point, I've just come to expect that any book by Rob Keeley (author of my beloved Spirits series), will be fun, full of thrills and surprises, and at least a little bit adorable. This book did not break that pattern. While it's aimed at MG readers, I very much enjoyed it.
For one thing, the characters are fun. Ben is the son of a famous magician, and as such, he's a budding magician himself. He has a strong moral compass and wants to help Miss Judson, but being a kid, he sometimes gets in his own way as a result of not thinking things through first. I find it hilarious that his main objection to Miss Judson being convicted is that he knows he'll never get another math teacher who will be as nice to him.
Miss Judson is also sweet, and even though she's technically a criminal, I was on Ben's side: I didn't want her to have to go to jail.
Then there's Ben's grandma, perhaps the true hero of the story. (I'm mostly kidding, but she is pretty boss.) She serves up food, sass, and one of the book's biggest surprises.
The plot is plenty exciting: a student and his math teacher on the run from both the police and a crazy crime lord. Then throw in a brief stint with a traveling circus---because as everyone knows, the best way to hide is to join a traveling circus, especially if you're a character in a novel.
In short, it was a quick, fun read that I'd recommend to MG readers and those who enjoy light-hearted, exciting MG fiction. I was smiling as I read it.
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Thursday, December 7, 2023
Fantasy novella 'The Singer' encourages us to treasure simple things, tend our gifts, and kindle hope, however small
Title: The Singer
My review:
Thursday, April 20, 2023
'One More Seat at the Round Table' is a delightful fictionalized account of Camelot's long journey to Broadway
Title: One More Seat at the Round Table
What Goodreads has to say:
Set backstage during the out-of-town chaos of Lerner and Loewe’s now-classic 1960 musical, One More Seat at the Round Table portrays the struggles of feisty drama school grad Jane Conroy, who lands a plum Gal Friday job, and Bryce Christmas, a gifted, if insecure, actor on the verge of his big break. When Jane and Bryce fall helplessly in love during Toronto tryouts, their relationship is tested by mistakes they make and endless work woes: Camelot’s four-hour length, poor reviews, the illness of librettist Alan Jay Lerner, and the near-fatal coronary of director Moss Hart who quits.
As Lerner, composer Loewe, and their stars, Richard Burton and Julie Andrews, trudge on to Boston, doubts besiege Jane who hopes to buck convention and skip marriage and Bryce who wants a wife. They also discover hidden strengths as Jane gains agency backstage and Bryce takes charge of his talent. But will Jane’s commitment phobia derail their future? Will Camelot become a glittering hit? These questions create a tense roller-coaster ride to the end of Susan Dormady Eisenberg's wise and witty novel, a story about the transformative power of love and the luminous pull of Broadway as it casts its spell on performers and fans alike.
What I have to say:
Friday, March 31, 2023
Back to school with Rob Keeley's new collection of funny, heartwarming stories
What Goodreads has to say:
Oscar’s written what he thinks about everyone... and left the paper in a library book...
Fletcher becomes a hero to Suzie...
Tessa takes action when her school bans hugging...
Holly Class wind up Pine Class on Transition Day...
Paul really doesn’t want to go to big school...
Myra hates her new school... until she meets Shane...
And more...
A brand-new collection of short stories from award-winning children’s and YA author Rob Keeley.
Includes Guess What? – shortlisted for Best Short Story 2022 at the Searchlight Writing for Children Awards – and two new Liam and Justin stories. Suitable for the 8-12s, and with primary and secondary school stories, this collection is fast, funny and packed with twists and turns.
What I have to say:
Rating:
Thursday, March 30, 2023
Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About James Leipfold
Monday, March 27, 2023
Dating Fears Justified